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(ModeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

w. W. HUGHES 1 HAND TRUCK.

No. 275,386. Patented Apr. 10,1883.

A) I Q WITNESSES; IML, W} 33K i 1 WM w J ATTORNEYS.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(MOdGL) W. W. HUGHES.

HAND TRUCK.

No. 275,386. mama Apr. 10,1883.

WITNESSES dud.

.(ModeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

W. W. HUGHES.

HAND TRUCK.

No. 275,386. I Patented Apr. 10,1883.

. WITNESSES: Q INVENTOR. lblw'amu fl 4 ATTORNEYS.

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UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

WILLIAM liV. HUGHES, OF URBANA, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO OORNELIA B. HUGHES, OF SAME PLACE.

HAND-TRUCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 275,386, dated April 10, 1883.

' Application filed October 11, 1882. (ModeL) To all whom 225 may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. HUGHES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Urbana, in the county of Ohampaign and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Platform Hand and Stair Truck; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention such as will enable othstruction and arrangement of the several parts,

as will be hereinafter more fully set forth in the specification, and pointed out in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of my device with the adjustable extension-supports raised; Fig. 2, a plan view of one of the supports; Fig. 3, a perspective view of the truck with the extension-supports extended horizontally; Fig. 4, a plan "iew of one of the end supports; Fig. 5, a detail view of the step balance frame; Fig. 6, a side elevation of the device when used as a stair-truck, and Fig. 7 a plan view of the end support.

, Referring more particularly to the drawings, the main truck-frame A is provided with the front wheels, I, and the rear casters, H. I may,however, use casters at the front and rear. To the rear of the truck-frame I secure an extension pivotal support, B, by means of a suitable rod, 01, and at the front of the frame another extension-support, O, is similarly secured. A roller, B, provided with a cushion of rubber or other suitable material, is journaled in the support B. Cushioned anti-friction rollers E F are journaled in the end support 0. The supports are held in a vertical position, when raised, by means of the removable hookrods M N, the free ends of which pass along grooves and automatically drop into slots 8 in frame A. There may be four of these rods, if deemed necessary. Rings, staples, or bands I) are fastened to the sides of support B for the purpose of receiving levers, such as draypins, ('vide Fig. 3,) by means of which an additional leverage is obtained to raise or lower the piano. The cross-pieces a in the main frame are provided with removable and interchangeable cushions a, of suitable material, to prevent injury to the polished surface of a piano or other article. The end supports, B C, can be removed and the main truck then used as an ordinary hand-truck, the end of the frame A being cut away at a to afford a ready means for lifting. The truck can be easily moved and turned by means of the wheels and casters. When used as an ordinary handtruck the cushions a are removed, the cushions being provided with dowel-pins which enter openings in the cross-pieces a. An end rest, L, having an eye on each side, is pivotally secured by the rod K,which passes through the frame and eyes. made flat, concave, 850., to suit barrels, boxes, &c. I can also use the extension-support (l in its upright position as an end rest. This support is especially adapted for high or bulky articles having a polished surface, the cushioned rollers E F giving the desired protection; or I may use both extensions as end supports, as shown in Fig. 1. When the truck is used for conveying articles up or down stairs I use the balance step frame shown in Figs. 5 and 6. In this connection I also use a supplemental end supporting-frame, P, rigidly secured to the end extension 0 by the set-screws g and the side rods, Q, attached to this and the main frame by the links or eyes 1".

In operation the device is used as follows: Suppose, for example, it is desired to move a square or grand piano from a store-room to a distant position. I first place the truck, with the extensions B (J raised vertically, Fig. 1, underneath the piano, the height of the extensions being adjusted by means of the rods d, which pass through openings 0 in the main frame and extensions. (The height of the different pianos varies but little.) I then turn the piano over on its back edge, so as to rest on roller-cushion B and cushion c, the edge of These end rests can be theprojectinglid or cover resting in the groove 1) of roller B. I now remove the legs and pedal. Then extension 0 is lowered on its pivot until it reaches the floor, and that end of the piano let down on end against the cushioned anti-friction rollers E F. The central part between the grooves of rollers B E F and cushions a and 0 are all in line along the center of truck and about the width of the depth of a piano, which allows a piano to be turned over onthe truck-frame from either side and rest squarely on the cushions. The lid enters the grooves, asjust described, and this prevents injury to the lid and avoids a leaning position of the piano, as would be the case if the lid rested on the cushion. Next the extension B is lowered on its pivot until the piano rests on the central cushions, a, of the track proper, and after inserting the fastening-rods fd the several parts are in the position shown in Fig. 3. In this position the truck and weight can readily be removed to an adjoining room, or onto a dray or other conveyance. When the pianois to be set up again the end resting on roller B is first raised by inserting levers in the staples or rings 1), the extension B acting as a pivotal lever in conjunction with the inserted levers. Then raise the other end of the piano by raising the support 0, the piano now resting on the supports in a vertical position, as before. The legs and pedal are now adjusted and the piano turned over on the floor. It will be noticed that when the end of the piano at extension B is being raised the extension 0 rests on the floor at a lower point than the truck proper, so that the pivotal point is at cushion a, near extension 0, until the weight is raised about thirty degrees before the lower end of the piano rests on and against rollers E F, which is then the pivotal point. When extension 0 is raised the other end of the piano rests on and projects considerably forward of roller B, therefore making it an easy matter to raise either end.

IfI wish to move an upright piano, organ, or article of furniture analogous thereto to a distant positionsuch as on a dray-without boxing, I raise the extension 0 to a plane with the main truck-frame A and secure it in this position rigidly by the rodf, Fig. 3, and then place on this extension 0 the auxiliary frame P, which prevents the article from slipping off. As a further protection, the extension B is turned inward and downward until the cushioned roller B rests against the piano and is held in this position. by a buckle strap or straps or other suitable means. If I wish to move a piano, article of furniture, or several trunks. 850., up a flight of stairs, I place the end B a few steps up the stairs, and raise end 0 so as to place underneath frame A the balance-step frame R, which is pivoted to said frame A by a rod, K. One end of a spring, a, is attached to the crossbrace of frame A, forward of frame It, the opposite end of the spring being secured to the frame. Then raise the upper end of the truck farther by balancing on frame R, and reverse the usual upright position of extension B, (unless I use a separate frame as its equivalent,) placing it underneath A and back of the caster's, rigidly securing it to frame A by suitable rods, the cushioned roller of B resting on one of the steps. (Vida Fig. 6.) Sow by pushing down at end of extension 0 extension B is raised, and then by pushing forward and balancing on frame R the truck is advanced one or two steps at a time. Then raise the lower part of the truck, the weight resting on B. This causes a forward movement of frame R actuated by spring a. The step-pieceT (turning on the pivot-rod t) turns over the edge of the step, thus preventing the lower ends of frame Rfrom becoming engaged with the steprise.

It will be observed that the extension B and balance-frame R are now pivoted so near the center of gravity that there is but little power required to carry up the load, as the balanceframe balances and supports the weight of the article during the interim of iaising and lowering the extensions. If the stairs have a turn or curve in themsuch as at landings'the wall preventing the horizontal turning of the truck to the next step, I disengage B and place it in its horizontal extended position, so that the roller B answers to roll up the wall until the truck reaches a point where it can be turned on its lower end, and if but five or six steps remain to reach the top itwvill not be neces sary to readjust the extension B underneath. I may, however, use an additional frame, equivalent to B, acting as an under vertical support, in which case I keep B in its extended po sition. The several holes which pass through the extensions and truck-frame permit the roller B to pass beyond the end of the piano, when desired. To prevent an excess of forward movement of frame R, I use an ordinary buckle-strap, fastening one end to frame It, and pass the other end to a point back of it-such as rod f-buckling it up to a suitable length, theframe B being pivotally attached to A at a point that will give the best balance when loaded.

To move the piano, 850., down stairs it is only necessary to detach the spring a from frame A, and the frame R will then automatically drop into a vertical position on each succeedin g step as it is released from the step by raising that end of the frame, the operation being the reverse of going up stairs.

When a bureau or other article of less length than a piano is to be moved up or down stairs, I dispense with the frame P and use extension 0, in its secured vertical position, as a lower end rest, and proceed as before.

If it is required to slide an article up or down anincline-such as to or from a window-- on a plane or ladder, I remove the supports B O and cushions a and turn the main frame A upside down. end support, 1?, and the frame can be easily moved up or down the incline.

I then place in position the It will be seen that the several parts of the truck outside of the main frame can be readily turned down or folded onto the main frame without detaching them, and the whole can be conveniently moved as a hand-truck.

By my device a piano can be easily and safely handled by one or two men.

The device is applicable to hotels, merchants, &c., as the end extensions can be removed and the truck used as an ordinary hand and platform truck.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A truck provided with end supportingframes adjustably secured to the main frame, so as to be extended horizontally, or raised vertically on said main frame and suitably secured thereto in their extended or raised position, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 7

. 2. A truck provided with suitable wheels and casters and two end supporting-frames detachable from the truck, one of said frames having a top cushioned roller, the other having end cushioned rollers, and wheels G, secured to said frame, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a truck, the combination, with the main truck-frame provided with suitable wheels or casters, of the vertically and horizontally adjustable end frames having cushioned rollers and hooked holding-rods for rigidly securing the extensionframes to the main frame.

at. In a truck, the combination, with the main truck-frame having removable and in- -terchangeable central cushions, a, and a pivoted end supporting bar or rod, L, of the pivoted end extensions vertically and horizontally adjustable on the main frame, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. A truck provided with a removable balance-step frame pivotally secured to the main frame in such manner that as the main frame is raised and lowered in ascending a flight of stairs the balance frame is automatically raised and moved from step to step, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a truck, the combination, with a main frame and an automatically-moving balanceframe, of the end frames adjustably secured to the main frame, one of said end frames, or its equivalent, and the balance-frame being secured to the under side of the main frame in such manner that each alternately supports the truck as it is moved up or down a flight of stairs, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a truck, the combination of the main frame A, adjustable extension-frame O, and the auxiliary supporting frame P, secured to the main and extension frames, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a truck, the combination, with the main frame A, adjustable extension-frame B, provided with the cushioned roller B, having the grooves b and frame 0, having end rollers, E F, and wheels G, of the auxiliary frame P, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. A truck having an adjustable end extension-frame B, secured thereto, and provided with a grooved cushioned roller B, and lever rings or eyes 11, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

10. A truck provided with an adjustable end extension-frame O, secured thereto, and having the cushioned anti-friction rollers E F, and wheels or rollers Gr, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

11. In a truck, the combination, with the main frame A, provided with adjustable and reversible extensiolrsupports B O, auxiliary end supports, P, interchangeable cushions a, and removable wheels I, as and for the purpose set forth.

12. In a platform and stair truck, the combination of a main frame, pivotal extensionsupports B (J, auxiliary end supports, P, and

step-balance frame B, the extension-frames.

adapted to fold and rest on the main truckframe, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I at'fix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

WVILLIAM \V. HUGHES. Witnesses:

I. H. MODONALD,. D. MCDONALD, Jr. 

